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North East Create Growth Programme

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The North East is one of only six regions to be awarded support through the Create Growth Programme.

The Create Growth Programme is funded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and aims to support creative businesses in planning for growth and exploring and securing commercial investment opportunities.

As part of this, Creative UK, in collaboration with lead partners the North of Tyne Combined Authority, is delivering North East Create Growth Programme, a suite of business support initiatives accessible to founders in the following regions: Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside.

The programme launched in November 2022 and will run until March 2025.  

Download FAQs on Create North East programme here

What is the North East Create Growth Programme?

What is the North East Create Growth Programme?

North East Create Growth Programme is a programme of support that focuses on helping founders of creative businesses to become more sustainable, build a growth plan and develop an investment strategy and proposition.

A suite of initiatives will be offered throughout the duration of the programme which will be in the form of intensive development courses, direct mentoring, specialist workshops, peer learning sessions from experienced founders and investor roundtables

Alongside this, Innovate UK are facilitating access to funding and investment.

Please register your interest in the programme to get in touch with our programme team and be the first to hear of opportunities.

What is the eligibility for the programme?

To be eligible for the business support under the programme, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Registered as a business on Companies House
  • Trading or registered within one of the following areas; Durham, Northumberland, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland. Please note, Teesside is not included in the geographic area for this programme. 
  • Operating across one of the following sectors: advertising and marketing; architecture; crafts; design and designer fashion; film, TV, video, radio and photography; IT, software and computer services (including gaming); publishing; museums, galleries and libraries; music, performing and visual arts.

We are particularly keen to hear from businesses who have creativity at their core and who have a strong ambition to grow and improve their business performance. For example, this can be in the form of advancing a product range, growing an audience, diversifying revenues, improving profit margin, becoming self-sustainable, securing investment or developing commercial partnerships.  

Who are the Partners?

Partners

The North East Create Growth Programme is a collaboration between The North of Tyne Combined Authority and Creative UK.  Seven local authorities across Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead, Durham and Northumberland are also supporting the programme. In addition, sector specialists including: Generator, Sunderland Software City, North East Screen, New Writing North, Creative Fuse and North East Local Enterprise Partnership are also involved.  

Join our mailing list

Join our mailing list

Please fill out the form below to express your interest in Creative UK North East. Once submitted, you will be added to our mailing list and begin to receive programme updates and other opportunities in the region.


What is the North East Create Growth Programme?

North East Create Growth Programme is a programme of support that focuses on helping founders of creative businesses to become more sustainable, build a growth plan and develop an investment strategy and proposition.

A suite of initiatives will be offered throughout the duration of the programme which will be in the form of intensive development courses, direct mentoring, specialist workshops, peer learning sessions from experienced founders and investor roundtables

Alongside this, Innovate UK are facilitating access to funding and investment.

Please register your interest in the programme to get in touch with our programme team and be the first to hear of opportunities.

What is the eligibility for the programme?

To be eligible for the business support under the programme, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Registered as a business on Companies House
  • Trading or registered within one of the following areas; Durham, Northumberland, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland. Please note, Teesside is not included in the geographic area for this programme. 
  • Operating across one of the following sectors: advertising and marketing; architecture; crafts; design and designer fashion; film, TV, video, radio and photography; IT, software and computer services (including gaming); publishing; museums, galleries and libraries; music, performing and visual arts.

We are particularly keen to hear from businesses who have creativity at their core and who have a strong ambition to grow and improve their business performance. For example, this can be in the form of advancing a product range, growing an audience, diversifying revenues, improving profit margin, becoming self-sustainable, securing investment or developing commercial partnerships.  

Partners

The North East Create Growth Programme is a collaboration between The North of Tyne Combined Authority and Creative UK.  Seven local authorities across Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead, Durham and Northumberland are also supporting the programme. In addition, sector specialists including: Generator, Sunderland Software City, North East Screen, New Writing North, Creative Fuse and North East Local Enterprise Partnership are also involved.  

Join our mailing list

Please fill out the form below to express your interest in Creative UK North East. Once submitted, you will be added to our mailing list and begin to receive programme updates and other opportunities in the region.


Innovate UK

Innovate UK are an investment partner in the national Create Growth programme and are an integral part of activity across all six regions. Within these regions, they are running funding competitions to facilitate business growth. Various finance options will be available including grants and repayable investment. Competition 1 was launched in Nov 2022 and closed in February 2023. Competition 2 is in development and will be launched in Autumn 2023. Founders are encouraged to register their interest in the programme via the registration form to stay up-to-date with the latest news and announcements.

Create Growth – Innovate UK Website

Investment Bootcamp

A core focus of North East Create Growth Programme is supporting founders in planning for and securing investment to enable growth. As part of this, we have created an intensive development course for a cohort of up to 20 ambitious business founders.

The 6-month intensive development course will take each founder through a process of assessing their business, defining their growth plan, identifying investment goals, and connecting with investors.  This will be delivered through a series of mentor 1-2-1’s, peer group sessions and investor roundtables.

Find out more and apply here

Join our mailing list

Complete the form below to register your interest in Creative UK North East. By doing so you will be added to our mailing list where you will start receiving all updates from the programme and other opportunities in the region:

 


Investment BootcampApply now

Investment Bootcamp

A core focus of North East Create Growth Programme is supporting founders in planning for and securing investment to enable growth. As part of this, we have created an intensive development course for a cohort of up to 20 ambitious business founders.

The 6-month intensive development course will take each founder through a process of assessing their business, defining their growth plan, identifying investment goals, and connecting with investors.  This will be delivered through a series of mentor 1-2-1’s, peer group sessions and investor roundtables.

Find out more and apply here

Investment Bootcamp ExplainedInterview with Programme Manager, Jackie Boyd

Unpack your Potential: Investment Bootcamp Explained

Our North East Investment Bootcamp aims to give founders everything they need to create a growth plan that’ll strengthen their business offering and help them secure investment. Across six months, 20 businesses from the region will receive a package of bespoke mentoring support and access to exclusive one-to-one time with investors from a range of backgrounds. Meanwhile, by being encouraged to work on their business rather than in it, they’ll be able to rewire their creative brain to ensure that both their company and creative goals are reached.

Eager to learn more? Programme Manager Jackie Boyd unpacks some key details with her interview with Simon Bland

Read interview

Creative Minds: How to use your IP as a Growth EnablerApply now

Creative Minds: How to use your IP as a Growth Enabler

Join us for this two-day course to discover how to use your intellectual property effectively as a growth enabler. For creatives, our ideas, products, and services can build Intellectual Property, a unique resource, which if managed effectively not only generates growth and sustainability, but can ultimately empower your creative output.   

To most people, IP seems to be the territory of lawyers and attorneys, but nothing could be further from the truth. Intellectual property is all about creativity. Whether you are an artist, a film maker, designer, writer, game developer or potter, you own IP. 

The course explores how the ideas at the core your business can be used as a catalyst for growth. It features a series of talks, led creative sector innovation and growth expert Erica Wolfe-Murray and workshops for participants to learn the art of managing your IP in a way that is creatively and commercially impactful.

Find out more and apply

Investment Bootcamp

A core focus of North East Create Growth Programme is supporting founders in planning for and securing investment to enable growth. As part of this, we have created an intensive development course for a cohort of up to 20 ambitious business founders.

The 6-month intensive development course will take each founder through a process of assessing their business, defining their growth plan, identifying investment goals, and connecting with investors.  This will be delivered through a series of mentor 1-2-1’s, peer group sessions and investor roundtables.

Find out more and apply here

Unpack your Potential: Investment Bootcamp Explained

Our North East Investment Bootcamp aims to give founders everything they need to create a growth plan that’ll strengthen their business offering and help them secure investment. Across six months, 20 businesses from the region will receive a package of bespoke mentoring support and access to exclusive one-to-one time with investors from a range of backgrounds. Meanwhile, by being encouraged to work on their business rather than in it, they’ll be able to rewire their creative brain to ensure that both their company and creative goals are reached.

Eager to learn more? Programme Manager Jackie Boyd unpacks some key details with her interview with Simon Bland

Read interview

Creative Minds: How to use your IP as a Growth Enabler

Join us for this two-day course to discover how to use your intellectual property effectively as a growth enabler. For creatives, our ideas, products, and services can build Intellectual Property, a unique resource, which if managed effectively not only generates growth and sustainability, but can ultimately empower your creative output.   

To most people, IP seems to be the territory of lawyers and attorneys, but nothing could be further from the truth. Intellectual property is all about creativity. Whether you are an artist, a film maker, designer, writer, game developer or potter, you own IP. 

The course explores how the ideas at the core your business can be used as a catalyst for growth. It features a series of talks, led creative sector innovation and growth expert Erica Wolfe-Murray and workshops for participants to learn the art of managing your IP in a way that is creatively and commercially impactful.

Find out more and apply

Creative Minds: How to use your IP as a Growth Enabler

Join us for this two-day course to discover how to use your intellectual property effectively as a growth enabler. For creatives, our ideas, products, and services can build Intellectual Property, a unique resource, which if managed effectively not only generates growth and sustainability, but can ultimately empower your creative output.   

To most people, IP seems to be the territory of lawyers and attorneys, but nothing could be further from the truth. Intellectual property is all about creativity. Whether you are an artist, a film maker, designer, writer, game developer or potter, you own IP. 

The course explores how the ideas at the core your business can be used as a catalyst for growth. It features a series of talks, led creative sector innovation and growth expert Erica Wolfe-Murray and workshops for participants to learn the art of managing your IP in a way that is creatively and commercially impactful.

Find out more and apply

Contact:

Please contact northeast@wearecreative.uk if you want to start a conversation with us or have any questions and a member of the team will get back to you.